Now that you have determined your current fitness level you should set some goals that you want to achieve. By selecting some goals and writing them down it will help keep you motivated and give you something to shoot for. It also helps you determine the steps you need to take to achieve that goal.
Many fitness experts recommend picking SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. So that means you would not simply want your goal to ‘be healthier’ or ‘lose weight.’ Instead if your goal is to lose weight pick a target weight you want to lose by a certain date. Remember that a healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds average per week. So your goal might be to lose 30 pounds in 15 weeks.
You might also want to setup performance or lifestyle goals. Performance goals could be doing 50 pushups, running 1.5 miles in less than 11 minutes, or running a marathon. Lifestyle goals could include doing some form of exercise at least 5 days a week for at least 15 minutes, 30 minutes a day for 3 days a week, or eating a specific amount of calories per day. There are a ton of different ones you can aim for, so take some time and really think about what you want to achieve.
If the end result you are looking for is not achievable in less than 3 months, then you can still keep that as your long-term goal, but you should break it up into several short-term goals that you can measure every 2-6 weeks. This will help you stay motivated and on target. Too many people get frustrated and quit when they see their long-term goal is too far away.
One other way to hold yourself accountable is to share your goals with a friend or workout buddy. Then the two of you can each hold each other accountable and make sure you are both on target.
No matter what your goals are make sure they are specific and measurable and write them down. If you need to, break them down into smaller short-term goals then evaluate your progress on a regular basis. When you accomplish your goal reward yourself. You could buy yourself a new outfit, or a book you’ve been wanting.
Now that you have identified what you want to achieve lets find out how to do it by starting with diet and nutrition.
Continue reading The Complete Guide to Getting Fit Part 3 – Diet & Nutrition
